Pseudopostega brevicaudata, Stonis & Remeikis & Sruoga, 2013

Stonis, Jonas Rimantas, Remeikis, Andrius & Sruoga, Virginijus, 2013, An annotated list of the Opostegidae of the Himalaya, with a description of Pseudopostega brevicaudata sp. nov. (Lepidoptera: Nepticuloidea), Zootaxa 3609 (2), pp. 182-194 : 183-187

Description of Pseudopostega brevicaudata sp.nov.

Pseudopostega brevicaudata Remeikis & Stonis , sp. nov. ( Figs. 12–14 )

Pseudopostega species 28623, Puplesis & Robinson 1999: 35–36.

Type material. Holotype: 1♂, NEPAL: Kathmandu , British Embassy, 1400 m, 12–13.vi.1984, Coll. Allen, genitalia slide no. 28623 ( BMNH).

Diagnosis. Externally very similar to Pseudopostega euryntis ( Meyrick, 1907) illustrated by Puplesis & Robinson (1999), from which it differs by the small triangular proximal indentation along median fascia, darker (grey-brown) antenna, and greyish to grey hindwing. The male genitalia are most similar to that of P. frigida ( Figs. 7, 8 ), but differs in the short lobes of uncus and stout process of gnathos ( Figs. 12–14 ).

Description. Male ( Fig. 21). Forewing length: 2.9–3.0 mm; wingspan: 6.6 mm. Head: palpi cream; frontal tuft

(piliform scales on vertex), collar and scape white; flagellum grey-brown.Thorax and tegulae entirely white. Forewing white, with broad, dark brown median fascia with small triangular indentation along proximal margin, demarcated by darker scales; apical part with black dot and two parallel strigulae. Cilia brown. Venter of forewing dark brown, except for short basal cream patch. Hindwing grey-brown; cilia pale ochreous grey. Legs mostly pale ochreous to yellowish ochre; forelegs fuscous.

Female. Unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs 12–14 ). Uncus with two very small, slender, and very widely separated lobes directed subcaudally; emargination between lobes shallow. Gnathos with caudally-directed, broad and distally truncated, spinose process, bearing large sclerotized plate with shallow distal emargination. Valva with large cucullar lobe, bearing pectinifer and supported by short pedicel; pectinifer of about 24 spines arranged in single row; valval lobe distally triangular; basal process of valva straight, apically acute and relatively short, moderately sclerotized; costal process strongly sclerotized, shorter than basal process. Juxta damaged in the studied holotype, probably weakly wrinkled and with slender elongate median process. Vinculum broadly rounded anteriorly. Sclerotized phallus (aedoeagus) is absent.

Biology. Adults fly in June. Host-plant unknown.

Distribution. Nepal (Kathmandu Valley, 1400 m).

Figures

FIGURES 12–14. Male genitalia of Pseudopostega brevicaudata Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., Nepal, Kathmandu, slide no. 28623 (BMNH), holotype. 12, genitalia capsule, ventral view; 13, genitalia capsule, dorsal view; 14, gnathos and uncus. Note: a sclerotized phallus (aedoeagus) absent in the genus Pseudopostega. Scale bar 10 µm.

FIGURES 7–8. Male genitalia of Pseudopostega frigida (Meyrick, 1906). 7, genitalia capsule, India, Utarakand, Rishikesh, slide no. RA273 (LUES); 8, gnathos, Nepal, 70 km W of Kathmandu, Baikuntapuri, slide no. RP1008 (LUES). Note: a sclerotized phallus (aedoeagus) absent in the genus Pseudopostega. Scale bar 10 µm.